I think we should have one governing body for first assistants

To much confusion out there between CSA, CFA, SA-C etc..
employers are confused. They constently ask what the difference is. No doubt the NSAA has the most recognized first assistant in the work force. I encourage other CFA"s and SA-C to get on the same page. There are a lot of benefits in having one governing body, I feel tne nsaa is setting the pace, and with one body we can secure our future not only in the job market but with the the highest salries.

I think it is just terrible for a person to have worked 40 years as an on the job trained surgical assistant and never bothered to get a certification or much less a degree stating that you had the training. Listen, that is what the colleges are for to go and get your education and then sit for the exam. No wonder you are having a hard time finding a job as an SA. I have never heard of SA's I only heard of PA, who were Nurse Practioners or CST- Certified Surgical Technologist who went on to get First Assistant degree. The power and the art of SA's is in the education and the paper work you recieve. No paperwork equals no degree or certification. Sooner or later insurance companies will not pay for those who don't have credential.....

Also, we need a lobbying power. RNFA's have AORN behind them and lobbyists that have gotten them more lattitude as far as reinbursment. A RNFA with less training can bill for medicare and medicare (stipulation apply) in Arizona but I cannot.

I totally agree with you guys, We don't even have any universal reference with regards to how much we should charge for the services we have rendered... much like the surgeons have in their practice...This should be uniform to avoid over- charging or under-charging our patients. This is for the benefit of our patients too...

One thing we should be lobbying too is this specialty called Surgical Assisting has too many competitors, there's the Physician Assistant's, the Nurse Practitioners, the Foreign Medical Graduates with SA Certificates, the Surgical Technologist with SA Certificates and those who studied SA and eventually were Certified... The specialty has become very competitive these days and the PA's and the NP's are getting the run for it, simply because surgeons have "better usage" for them other than surgical assisting...

If this is the case then we should stop certifying FMD's, surgical tech's and SA graduates...or else we'll just a llend up jobless...